Kia Sonet Revealed At Auto Expo 2020; Will Rival Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue

Kia’s second SUV for India, the Sonet, is based on its Hyundai sibling but is better loaded

Update (07/08/2020): Kia has officially unveiled the Sonet. You can read more about it here.

• When launched, the Sonet will be Kia’s third product for the Indian market.

• It is expected to be offered with three BS6-compliant engines: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, and 1.5-litre diesel.

• Gets features such as connected car tech, Bose sound system, and 10.25-inch touchscreen.

• Likely to be priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh with launch expected by August 2020.

• Key rivals include the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300 and Tata Nexon.

Kia Motors India has finally revealed its close-to-production sub-4m SUV concept, the Sonet, at Auto Expo 2020. This sub-4m SUV will be launched by August 2020. It will be Kia’s third offering for India after the Seltos and Carnival. The Sonet concept made its world debut in India, just like the SP Concept (which later became the Seltos) at Auto Expo 2018.

The overall design of the Sonet is curvy and flows from front to back. However, elements like the muscular front bumper and flared arches scream for attention. Then there’s Kia’s tiger-nose grille, which is flanked by aggressively styled LED headlamps. We are yet to catch a glimpse of its interior and will update this report when we do.   

The Sonet is expected to make use of the Venue’s petrol engines: the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol and the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol. The diesel engine is likely to be borrowed from the Seltos, that is, the 1.5-litre diesel. All these engines are BS6 compliant. The only automatic for the SUV is expected to be the 7-speed DCT with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.

Kia’s sub-4m SUV is a premium offering like the Seltos. It gets UVO connected car tech with an embedded eSIM, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, and a Bose sound system. Other features on the list should include LED headlamps and tail lamps, auto climate control, and an air purifier. 

The Sonet is likely to be priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh at launch. It will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, and Mahindra XUV300.